What Comes Next?
by xXAngel ShadowXx
Summary: Takes place shortly after episode 11 of anime. Ritsu can't sleep and is thinking about his and Takano's relationship, that is, until Takano wakes up...   please review.


**HI! I'M BACK! (Yes, I'm not dead XD.) Saw the recent episode of Sekaiichi Hatsukoi (episode 11)...and loved it. Obviously. Just thought I'd write a little story. Basically, Ritsu is still awake after Takano falls asleep, and he is contemplating their relationship, and how it will affect their lives from then on. Reviews are appreciated.**

12:30 AM.

Ritsu Onodera is wide awake.

Unfortunately.

He blinks once. Twice, fighting against the soreness of his eyes, which were obviously sore due to his inability to sleep. Yes. Ritsu had an acute case of insomnia tonight, and the cause of his current condition was very clear. It was all because of the person sound asleep beside him. The person who had had engulfed Ritsu in his arms as his light, airy snores filled the darkened room.

Ritsu sighed, trying and failing to change his position, finding that Takano was holding him much too tightly for him to do so, and Ritsu, ( though he would NEVER admit it easily,) couldn't imagine waking him and distorting that peaceful, contented smile on his face.

"Honestly...What does he think he's smiling about?" Ritsu grumbled quietly, face lightly flushed, but of course, inside, he was grinning like a goofball, swooning like a schoolgirl, and well...you get the idea.

He was completely, entirely, 100% in love with Takano.

And now it was truly clear to him.

Ritsu had almost confessed that day, he'd realized later as he lay there in the bed, listening to the cicadas buzzing outside, and the crickets thrumming along in unison. What would have happened if Takano had heard him, that evening in the rain? He wondered to himself. Probably the same as what ended up happening that night. A romantic trist in Onodera's bedroom, which left the bed sheets thoroughly soaked and Onodera thoroughly conflicted.

He had always told himself he was much too jaded for love...because of the person he'd loved and left behind all those years ago, and now, here he was, nestled in the arms of that same person. Isn't this what he always promised himself he'd never let himself do? Fall in love? And let alone with the same person...but all the same...

Ritsu sighed softly, shifting slightly and glancing at Takano. His chest instantly warmed at the sight of that wonderful, sleeping face. Takano was normally so stern, so strict, so committed to his work that he often overlooked the well-being of his own staff...yet now he seemed so vulnerable, so tranquil, so incredibly...

Young.

Ritsu's eyes widened as he realized how much younger Takano really did look when he was asleep. The lines that normally traced around his brows were gone and his face was completely relaxed. It made him look years younger...almost like...

He was when they went to school together.

Ritsu's heart skipped a beat. How long had it been since he thought about those times? His memory might have been hazy about certain things, but he certainly remembered his first confession, going home with Takano, being held by him...kissing him...

Even after all those years, the memories still shook him up inside, made his heart race. How could he have denied for so long his true feelings? How could he have even tried to convince himself his feelings had changed?

Takano's feelings obviously hadn't. At one point, he even believed that Takano didn't love him at all...

He had really tried to move on, but it was perfectly clear now that wasn't going to happen. Takano would probably never allow it anyway.

But all the same, as Ritsu lay there, contemplating everything that had happened that day, a new, foreign thought popped into his head. A thought that both intrigued and slightly terrified him.

"What now?"

That inner question lingered in the darkness of his mind, and it was almost frightening how no other thoughts came after that one. In fact, Ritsu was utterly clueless about the answer to that question. He listened to snoring man beside him, and considered one thing after another. _Yeah, I love him. It's true, but how would we make this work? Would we be able to balance work and...us? Would we be able to explain it to our co-workers that we're...how would they react anyway?_

Ritsu swallowed hard. These kind of issues never occured to him ten years ago. Back then, it was really just about the two of them. But now, they had jobs, and lives. How could they find the balance in a world as topsy-turvy as theirs, with Ritsu scrabbling to the printers every ten minutes and Takano bombarding him with orders? He barely had time to bathe anymore, let alone make a relationship work out...

...And what did Takano think about all this anyway? Was he thinking about the same things as Ritsu?

Suddenly, as though Takano had been listening the whole time, one of his hazel eyes opened to peer up at Ritsu, as a small, tired smile spread across his lips.

"You idiot. You're still up?" He whispered teasingly.

Ritsu froze, blushing furiously. "You...you're awake?" Ritsu cried stupidly. Takano only chuckled in response.

"Onodera, what's wrong?"

He never wasted any time cutting right to the chase did he?

Ritsu sighed, looking him straight in the eye.

"Takano, I need to ask you something. How are we going to do this?"

Takano was quiet for a few moments. "Huh?" He finally said.

Ritsu wanted to slap him. "You know what I'm talking about dammit! I mean, how are we going to make this work? You know how hectic both of our lives are. How could we even manage to balance a relationship together, especially when we couldn't even do it ten years ago when we were students!"

Ritsu wasn't positive how wise it was to voice all these hidden fears, but for some odd reason, they just kept spilling out, one after another. "What about the people in the office? How would they react anyway? Would they lose respect for you? Would it put our positions in jeopardy? There is so much more we have to think about here!" He was short of breath by the time he finished, panting and flushed.

Takano simply stared at him for a few moments, silent. Ritsu cringed inside. Dammit, this was hard, but maybe discussing it would get them somewhere, or at least make him feel a little better...

"You...moron."

...

What?

Takano shook his head, sighing heavily. "THAT'S what you were thinking? How trivial..."

"Whaddya mean trivial?" Ritsu thundered, locking eyes with Takano and grabbing his shoulders. "This is serious! You can't tell me all that I said isn't important...don't you...don't you even care about what happens at all?" Ritsu's voice tightened with frustration. "Or...maybe..." He muttered, his fist clenching. "I really am just a damn joke to yo-"

"Shut up." Takano growled, suddenly pulling Ritsu in for a deep, long kiss. Ritsu froze, but couldn't bring himself to pull away, practically melting in Takano's arms all over again.

"Now you listen to me." Takano said softly, once they broke apart. "Ritsu, don't even dare say that I don't care what happens, or that you're a joke to me, because you know that isn't true. Second, nothing is going to happen with our jobs or our work...after all, " he said with a light smile now in his voice. "Haven't we managed just fine until now, after all we've already done?"

Ritsu opened his mouth to say something along the lines of "Well, that's different!" or "It wasn't really official then!" But then he realized he really couldn't. A lot had happened between them, and it never interfered with their work that much...maybe save for all those times Ritsu had used it as an excuse to not be with Takano. Actually, it was normally the other way around...come to think of it...

"And also...Onodera, are you really worried of what the others will think? After all, we work in a shojo manga department. I think most of them have already guessed. And anyway, Kisa-san has a boyfriend himself and no one has said anything-"

"KISA-SAN HAS A BOYFRIEND?" Onodera cried, causing Takano to roll his eyes.

"Completely dense as usual..." He muttered to himself.

"Shut up! How was I supposed to know anyway?" Ritsu shot back. Takano only sighed again.

"Sometimes I wonder how you've even made it this far as an editor of shojo manga, considering you never seem to notice such obvious signs that people are in love." He chuckled. "Explains why you're having second thoughts now, thinking that you're nothing but a joke to me after all the crap that I've gone through on your account."

Ritsu felt a sudden tremor of guilt when Takano said that. "Uh...er...I-I'm sorry Takano. I didn't mean it like that. It's just..."

Takano only chuckled again, pulling Ritsu into an embrace. Ritsu stiffened at the sudden gesture, but that only lasted a few moments, as he felt his arms wrapping around Takano's waist.

"Listen Onodera. I love you. And I will always love you, just the same way I've been loving you for the past ten years now, and there is no reason for you to worry. Our work isn't going to be affected by this. You should know by now I let nothing affect my work. Even when you came into the picture that never changed. You have proved time and time again how dedicated you are to your work as well, which is another reason why I love you.

And the people in the office don't even matter to me. What they think isn't important. The only thing that matters to me is you. You and only you. God, that should be so apparent to you by now, and yet you still don't understand it..."

Takano scratched his head in annoyance. "Honestly..."

Ritsu's cheeks were as bright red as tomatoes, and he was grasping inside for something he could say to that. "I-I'm sorry Takano-san...It's just that...

"I really want things to go well this time...and...I'm a little scared."

Ritsu wasn't sure where those words came from inside of him. But they just sort of spilled from his lips, like water pouring from a leak in a glass. But even so, he knew it was the truth. He was scared. And anxious, and worried. He wanted to believe that things could work out. But the truth was, he had no experience with relationships outside of ten years ago. He couldn't be certain of anything really.

But Takano only grinned that soft, knowing smile, and cupped Ritsu's face in his hands.

"I'm not letting anything get in the way this time. And there's no way in hell I'm ever letting you go again."

As soon as he uttered those words, Ritsu felt his face contort, and his eyes clench closed. He was simply too much. As Takano leaned in once more to steal a kiss from Onodera's quivering lips, Ritsu felt more confident about the relationship than he ever had before. He knew, in some aspects, it would be difficult, but in comparison to feeling so wonderful and happy like he was right then, Ritsu knew that it was a small price to pay, and that nothing was impossible if they both gave it their all...

"I love you Ritsu."

...And this time around, that's exactly what Ritsu intended to do.

...

**WOOT! I'M FINISHED. FIRST FANFIC I'VE WRITTEN IN A LONG TIME. PLZ REVIEW!**


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